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Northwest University Makes National “Best Bang for the Buck” List

In the current job market and economy, students want to attend a university that gives them the best value for their money. Two Assemblies of God colleges recently received recognition among America’s most worthwhile educational institutions.

How Can Students Measure The Best Return On An Educational Investment?

Washington Monthly, a highly influential national news magazine, recently created a “Best Bang for the Buck” ranking, what they describe as an “exclusive list of the colleges in America that do the best job of helping nonwealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.” Only 349 out of 1,572 colleges and universities in their broader rankings made the cut as best-bang-for-the-buck schools.This list placed two AG schools—Northwest University at #217 and Vanguard University at #247—in the “Best Bang for the Buck” rankings.

When Does A School Make The List?

Reporting on Washington Monthly's list, The Seattle Times outlined the specific criteria for colleges to even rank on the list: “At least 20 percent of a school’s enrollment must be students who are receiving need-based federal Pell Grants, which typically go to households making less than $50,000. The schools must have a graduation rate of at least 50 percent. Each school’s actual graduation rate must meet or exceed the rate that would be predicted through a statistical model, given the number of lower-income students. And the schools must have a student-loan default rate of 10 percent or less.”

What Does It All Boil Down To?

According to the best-deal list editors, prospective students should ask the following question:

“What colleges will charge people like me the least and give me the highest chance of graduating with a degree that means something in the marketplace?”

“Although schools like ours may appear to charge high tuition prices,” explained Dr. Joseph Castleberry, President of Northwest University, “the larger financial aid awards we offer students close the affordability gap. Our high-quality degrees perform very well in the marketplace as students go out to seek jobs. Currently, the largest employers of Northwest graduates are Microsoft, Boeing, and Starbucks. It is exciting to see our alumni applying their Christ-centered higher education in several of the world’s most influential companies.”